I'm Here
by Keleficent
Summary: Ford rescues the love of his life, Adeline Marks (OC that belongs to @scipunk63 and @hntrgurl13), but fears he may be too late. Prequel to "Like It Or Not."


"Adeline…"

Stanford stood at the threshold of the prison cell door. Lying down on the floor in this cold, dark prison was his beloved Adeline.

She had gone missing a few weeks prior. After all those sleepless nights searching for any sign of his love, not knowing if she was alive or dead, he was momentarily in shock to have finally found her.

She didn't stir when he called to her, making Stanford fear the worst. When he got closer, he was relieved to hear her breathing, albeit raggedly. Her body was covered with cuts and burns, and more than a few of them looked infected. Her skin was pale except for her face which was flushed red. He put his hand on her forehead and then used the back of his hand to feel her cheek. He wasn't surprised she had a fever, but even he was taken aback at how scalding her skin was.

"You're burning up."

Stanford scooped her up in his arms with no trouble. She had lost an alarming amount of weight. There was a high chance that she would not survive if she didn't receive care soon.

"Stay with me, Adeline."

He moved swiftly through the halls of the compound looking around to make sure they weren't spotted. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Adeline finally open her eyes.

"Stanford?"

"Addi, don't speak. Save your strength." Stanford wanted her to stay quiet not only to conserve her energy but because he couldn't stand how weak her voice sounded.

"Stanford…" Adeline gave him a small smile. Stanford's insides burned with guilt wondering how often she imagined him saving her. She rested her head on his shoulder and curled her hand into his coat before closing her eyes once more.

He heard footsteps coming down the hall. He went down an adjacent hallway and ducked down in the shadows before two guards walked past them.

Stanford was overcome with rage as it occurred to him that these men helped hurt her. He was tempted to go out there and inflict on them pain ten times the amount Adeline suffered. But he reminded himself that stealth was the key in escaping. If they were caught, it was unlikely he would be able to get Adeline out of here alive.

Adeline let out a moan. Although it was very soft, it seemed to have been heard by the guards because they suddenly stopped.

"Shh…" Stanford held Adeline's head under his as though just hiding her face could shield her from further harm. There was no way he will be able to fight his way out with an injured woman to carry. He could probably save himself if he left her behind, but since there was no way in hell that was going to happen, he pulled out his gun. If he was going to die, he'll die protecting her.

He heard footsteps, and to his relief, they headed away from them. The guards either didn't hear her or decided it was nothing.

Stanford snuck Adeline out of the compound without further incident and took her to the camp he had set up. Stanford assumed after weeks of captivity, Adeline may not be strong enough to travel and would need a place to recover. They were surrounded by miles of desert, but Stanford managed to find a hiding place inside a canyon that had running water through it. The rocks jutted out over the place Stanford had found so they would be well-hidden while he nursed her back to health.

He carried Adeline to the river and laid her in the water to clean her wounds and cool down her fever. She weakly resisted being submerged. He remembered seeing a tank of water back at the compound and wondered if she had been subjected to any water torture.

"Shh, it's okay, Addi. It's okay." Stanford sat at the edge of the water and rested Adeline's head in his lap. He took off the dirty, tattered remains of her clothing so the water could wash away the excess blood. He scooped up some water in his hand and poured it on her burning face.

Her beautiful body was unrecognizable beneath all the damage inflicted upon her. His mind couldn't stop identifying the different instruments of torture that had put them there.

"No…no…" Adeline moaned weakly. "Won't…won't tell you anything…"

"Shh, Addi, you're not there anymore. You're with me. You're safe now."

"Never…never betray him…"

"Shh, I know you didn't, Addi. You did great. Please, just rest." It devastated Stanford to see Adeline's loyalty, one of her most admirable qualities, had gotten her so badly hurt. He wished she had just given him up. He was the one they wanted. He would have rather had his enemies hurt him than his Adeline. "I'm so sorry, Addi. I wasn't there to protect you."

Stanford pulled her out of the water and carried her over to the waiting sleeping bag. He tore off a piece of his coat and soaked it in the water. He set it on Adeline's forehead hoping it will keep her fever down. He pulled out medicine from his pack to help fight her infections. When he rubbed the medicine on her skin, she whimpered in pain.

"I'm sorry, Addi. I know it hurts, but it'll help you feel better." Stanford hated to cause her more pain, but this medicine was her only chance of survival. And honestly, he wasn't sure how good her chances were at this point.

Despite Stanford trying to apply her medicine as gently as possible, she was still crying softly. "Shh, shh, shh, I know, Addi. I know. It's almost over. I'm almost done."

"Ford…help me…" Adeline sounded so frightened and meek, nothing like the tough, sharp woman he loved.

"Shh, Addi, I'm here. I'm right here. I've got you, sweetheart." Stanford put his hand on her cheek. This seemed to calm her a little. After he finished applying the medicine, he worked on dressing her wounds.

Adeline's eyes fluttered open. Even in her feverish daze, she could recognize her love immediately. "Ford?"

Stanford gave her a tired smile as he rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "Hi, Addi."

Adeline looked at the bandages he was holding in his hands. "Are you hurt?"

Unbelievable. She was practically at death's door and she still thought of him first. "No, Addi, I'm not hurt."

Adeline was confused and struggling to put the pieces together. "Am I hurt?"

Stanford let out a sigh and looked down at her sadly. "Yes, Addi, you're hurt. But you're strong. I know you can fight this. You'll be alright."

"I know I will." As she said this, Adeline looked the most lucid she's been since he found her. "You're here."

Stanford hated crying in front of her, but it was difficult to hold back how touched he was by her faith in him, deserved or not. "Yes, I'm here."

He put the last bandage on Adeline before laying a blanket over her. He took the damp cloth in his hand and sponged her face. The gesture relaxed her and made her sleepy. "Ford…"

"Shh…" Stanford put his finger to her lips. He brushed aside some strands of hair from her face before bending down to kiss her forehead. His lips barely parted from her head when he spoke again. "Go back to sleep, love. I'll be here watching over you."

Safe in Stanford's care, Adeline slept. He never left her side, not even when her fever finally broke. Whenever she was awake (and sometimes even in her sleep), he kept reminding her that he was here.

And he will always be here.


End file.
